


Pictures And Smiles

by NotMarie



Series: Letter Collections [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst?, I Tried, M/M, don't expect much, photojournalist!Wonwoo, soldier!Mingyu, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 04:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8953492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotMarie/pseuds/NotMarie
Summary: "Gyu, why is it that every time you come home from your academy, you always carry a picture of you? Are all soon-to-be soldiers that vain and narcissistic?"Mingyu just shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the man."Why'd ya ask?""Nothing. I hope it would be me who gets to take a photo of you in your uniform next time." Wonwoo now knows the reason why military personnel always had photos of themselves.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't know if a military academy exists in Korea, it's actually based from a military academy here in my hometown (I live in Philippines. Lol).  
> Also, students in that academy are called Cadets.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this.

 

 

A little Wonwoo held his tears as he was pushed off the swing. Three boys gathered around him and stepped on Wonwoo's camera. He was about to cry when he heard someone shouting behind him. The boy said something about reporting them to the authorities and such. The boys threw Wonwoo a sharp glare before they decided to walk away. The other boy then approached him, and tried to gather the pieces of his camera. He tried to put the pieces together, but he failed.

" _Hi! I'm Mingyu. Are you okay? I'm sorry, I can't put it back together._ " And Mingyu helped Wonwoo stood up.

  
_Wonwoo may have lost his camera, but he found his hero._

  
Wonwoo was now thirteen and he grew closer to his hero. Mingyu was younger than him, but they get along just fine. The two sat at the older's living room as they watch some superhero movie. Both was in awe after they watched the film. The younger then spoke up.

" _Hyung, I wanna be a soldier when I grow up."_

Wonwoo was confused. He then asks the younger. " _Why the sudden thought?_ "

Mingyu smiles at Wonwoo. " _I wanna be someone's hero._ " _I want to be able to to protect you, hyung._

  
_You didn't have to though. You're already my hero._

 

_"Then I'll be a Photojournalist!"_

_"Why?"_

_"So I'd take photos of you in action and spread the word about it!"_ Wonwoo jokingly said.

 

But all their thoughts remained unsaid.

 

  
Wonwoo studies multimedia arts when Mingyu heard about a military academy. It has free tuition and a guaranteed position in the country's armed forces. But the problem is the school is far from where they lived, and they won't be allowed to leave the school unless it's winter break or semestral break. He needs to stay there for four years, too. The academy provided board, lodging, and allowance though. Mingyu was so motivated to enter the academy, but he still needs to pass the entrance exam first. Wonwoo was sad at the thought of Mingyu leaving them, but who is he to hold Mingyu back? He helped the younger review, for he is willing to let go of Mingyu as long as he gets closer to his dreams.

  
Mingyu passed the exam, and the physical examination is a piece of cake for the man. He packs his bag for his stay at the academy when Wonwoo enters his room. He helped Mingyu fold his clothes. He almost laughed when he saw how horrible Mingyu's packing skills are.

" _You couldn't even fold your clothes, you sure you can survive there?"_

Mingyu crosses his arms and pouts. " _Of course I can! This is for my dream!"_

Wonwoo pats Mingyu's head and proceeds to helping him pack.

_I wish you didn't need to leave._

When they are finished with packing everything, Wonwoo bids farewell. Mingyu the calls him, and he looks at the boy.

" _Wait for me, hyung."_ _When everything is over, I'd be more deserving for your love._

Wonwoo smiles and pats Mingyu's shoulders.

" _I will._ "

In Mingyu's stay at the academy, he learned many things. Wonwoo, on the other hand, was now studying Multimedia arts in college. He now pursues his dream of becoming a photojournalist. He still waited. Every year, he'd mark his calendar for winter and semestral breaks. He'd count the days left before he could see Mingyu again.

He'd spend his break waiting at Mingyu's home. Mingyu's parents don't mind, for they've known Wonwoo since forever. He knew how pure the boy was, and how close he is to Mingyu.

Every time Mingyu comes home, he'd always bring a big box with him. The box always contained the same stuff, calendars, diaries, ticklers and memorabilia from his school plus a framed photograph of the cadet in his uniform. He'd also bring souvenirs for his favorite hyung, of course. Mingyu gets taller every time, too.

During Mingyu's last year at the academy, Wonwoo starts working for a famous newspaper. He sometimes write articles, but he's also a photojournalist on-call. During that year's break. He'd drop off at Mingyu's place to check if he's home already, but since he now has a job, he couldn't stay longer than before. When he saw Mingyu unpacking what's inside his souvenir box, he saw the same things except that the usual one framed picture was now five. Four were joint frames and one is a copy of his picture as a graduating cadet. He then asks Mingyu.

" _Gyu, why is it that every time you come home from your academy, you always carry a picture of you? Are all soon-to-be soldiers that vain and narcissistic?"_

Mingyu just shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the man.

" _Maybe it's because we take pictures as remembrance of important events. Why'd ya ask?"_

' _But you don't need to, we'll never forget you. I won't forget you'_ Is what Wonwoo wants to say, but he shook his head and smiled at the younger. " _Nothing. I hope it would be me who gets to take a photo of you in your uniform next time."_

Lucky for Wonwoo, he was tasked to take photos of that year's graduation for the military academy. He then gets to take photos of Mingyu in his uniform, he gets to take a photo of Mingyu reaching his dreams.

 

That night, Mingyu wanted to confess his feelings for Wonwoo, but he hid his feelings behind a smile. They went back to how they were before, except they now both had jobs. They'd still watch films together, though. Whenever they are free, they'd eat outside. They even went to a roadtrip using the car Mingyu bought with the money he had. There are times when Mingyu would be deployed and it'll take months before he'd come back, but Wonwoo always waited for him.

 

A few years more and Mingyu was deployed to a foreign land. Whenever Wonwoo misses him, he drops off at Mingyu's house and stares at his photos displayed on the wall. He went there everyday without fail. He then thinks, _Is this the reason why you always brought your photos? To make people miss you less? Because if it is, it isn't working, Gyu._  But overthinking never did him any good, so he'd shrug his shoulders and start heading home.

 

It has been more than a year since Mingyu was deployed. Wonwoo was always hopeful that Mingyu would be home soon, but he'd try his best to to forget him for a while. He dedicated his time to honing his skills to be a good journalist, and the best photojournalist he could be. He was so dedicated to his work that when he receives a call at four in the morning to take photos of the casualties from a war, he didn't even think twice and started driving to the place. But what he saw isn't what he expects.

What welcomed him is a sight of many refugees and many corpses, corpses of the soldiers sent to that war. For a second, Wonwoo panicked.

' _M-mingyu wouldn't be here, right? He didn't mention anything about a war, or rescue. He said they'll only survey an area of a foreign land._ '

 

However, no matter how much he reasoned out to himself, it can't change the fact that Mingyu's name was on the list of the people deceased during the war. Wonwoo gave Mingyu's parents a call, hugged them, and he cried.

 

It has been two days since they found out that Mingyu died. He refused to go out his room. He refused to see anyone. Thoughts filled his head. All the words he never said, they are now on a never ending replay. He could've told him at his graduation, or during their roadtrip, but he didn't. He heard a soft knock on his door, but his body felt too heavy. His mother called him and left a letter by his door, along with a photo of the man and the book The Little Prince written in french. He saw the letter, but he didn't have the courage to read it.

The next day, when he read the letter, he heads to the newspaper company. He needed to do his job after all.

 

Tomorrow's headline on the famous newspaper goes as follows:

**Korea Honors Nation's Heroes**

__  
Article By: Jeon Wonwoo  
Photo by: Jeon Wonwoo

 

On the day of the burial, Wonwoo attended, but he couldn't say his eulogy.

The words on the letter were still fresh in his mind.

 

_**Dear Wonwoo Hyung,** _

_**If ever you are reading this, it means I died from the war, or I was lost like Song Joong Ki in Descendants of the Sun. If you see my dead body, however, it meant that I really am gone.** _

 

Wonwoo chuckles as he read this. Tears continued to stream down his face.

 

_**Well, if it's the former, I'd like to tell you the words I never got to say. First of all, I'm sorry I lied to you. We didn't go here to 'survey' the area, we were sent to fight here. I'm sorry, I lied.** _

_"You should be, you jerk."_ He mutters to the letter. Oh what Wonwoo would pay to hear his apologies and his jokes again.

 

_**Second, I didn't want to be a soldier to be just anyone's hero, I wanted to be your hero. I wanted to protect you from harm.** _

 

" _You already are, Gyu. Since the day in the park, you have always been my hero._ " Wonwoo says as he tried to prevent himself from sobbing.

 

_**Because of you, I was motivated to enter the academy. And because I entered the academy, I learned to love the country even more. I endured everything for you and for our country, for you deserve the best. The best country to live in, the best person to love you. I know I had big dreams, but it's worth a try, right?** _

_**There, I said it. I love you, Hyung. Not in a brotherly way, but I love you romantically.** _

_**  
If ever I die today, please know that the only regret in my heart is that I never told this in person. I never made you feel loved, you deserve better, Wonwoo hyung. I know it may not be enough, but I searched every bookstore for that book that you've wanted to read since you were twelve. And if ever I die, please know that I die happily serving our country. I love you, hyung. And I want you to be happy.** _

 

  
Wonwoo approaches Mingyu's casket. He puts a rose above it, holds his camera, and for the last time, he takes a photo of Mingyu in his uniform. Mingyu's face has never looked so peaceful.

 

  
It has been a month since Mingyu's burial. Wonwoo sat by a bench. He opened his bag and saw the book. For the first time, he opened the book Mingyu left, and was shocked to see many pictures of him in between several pages. One was a picture of him that he thought was missing from his family photo album, another was with Mingyu during their middle school days, another from the road trip as he sleeps, and many photos with different memories. He stared at the photo at the last page. It was a photo of two of them before Mingyu was deployed. Both of them were smiling in the photo. He looked at it and remembered Mingyu's smiles, _the smiles he could now only see in pictures_. He couldn't help but cry.

 

  
**_I remembered you asking me months before my graduation, Why do we always bring home photos of ourselves? I have two answers to your question._ _Firstly, it's because we tend to take photos of important to us. Maybe it's one of our foolish ways to keep the memories eternal._ _Lastly, it's because I may leave you, but the picture of me of us, it would always be there. I may vanish, but the photo and the memories embedded in them will always be there. When you look at our photos, please remember how much I love you, hyung._**

_**I know it's a selfish request, but please remember me. You don't have to love me back, but please remember that at one point in your life, a foolish Kim Mingyu loved you with all his heart.** _

_**I love you, Jeon Wonwoo.** _

 

_**Loving you dearly,** _

_**Lieutenant First Class Kim Min Gyu.** _

**Author's Note:**

> My second attempt at writing angst. Your suggestions would be highly appreciated to help me hone my skills. Sorry if it's bad, I tried. Thank you for reading!


End file.
